Losing Isaiah (1995)

The natural and adoptive mothers of a young boy are involved in a bitter, controversial custody battle.

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

Seth Margolis (novel), Naomi Foner (screenplay)

Stars:

Jessica Lange, Halle Berry, David Strathairn

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jessica Lange	...	Margaret Lewin
Halle Berry	...	Khaila Richards
David Strathairn	...	Charles Lewin
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Eddie Hughes
Daisy Eagan	...	Hannah Lewin
Marc John Jefferies	...	Isaiah
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Kadar Lewis
Joie Lee	...	Marie
Regina Taylor	...	Gussie
LaTanya Richardson Jackson	...	Caroline Jones (as LaTanya Richardson)
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Judge Silbowitz
Donovon Ian H. McKnight	...	Amir
Rikkia A. Smith	...	Josie
Paulette McDaniels	...	Ethel
Velma Austin	...	Rehab Leader

Storyline

An African-American baby, abandoned by his crack addicted mother is adopted by a white social worker and her husband. Several years later, the baby's mother finds out her son is not dead, as she thought before and goes to court to get him back.

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Plot Keywords:

baby | custody battle | social worker | cartoon on tv | female protagonist | 

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Taglines:

Who decides what makes a mother?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug related material and brief strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 March 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les chemins de l'amour

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,603,766

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$900,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jessica Lange said in an interview "I let myself get talked into 'Losing Isaiah' because I hadn't worked for awhile. I knew it wasn't right, the script wasn't right, there was no ending. It just didn't feel right, and it never got right. It was a really difficult, and painful experience."

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Goofs

Khaila could not have known that Isaiah "liked to play with blocks", since she had not had him with her while he was growing up from infancy, and he'd always just sullenly moped around whenever he was at her apartment and never wanted to play or interact with the other children at day-care, so Khaila would never have seen Isaiah when he was truly just "at play" and thus learned what toys were his favorites.

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Quotes

Margaret Lewin: Any animal can give birth. That doesn't make it a mother.
Khaila Richards: Are you calling me an animal? If you think you're going to just take my baby from me like some puppy from a pound, you got another thing coming, lady!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Outbreak/Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh/Bye Bye Love/Losing Isaiah/Farinelli (1995)

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Soundtracks

Gas Chamber
by Robert Green Jr. & Todd Shaw
Performed by Spice I
Courtesy of Jive Records

User Reviews

Movie with Heart

Losing Isaiah is a movie that attempts to deal honestly with the issues of interracial adoption. Its portrayals are most always right on the mark. Halle Berry is almost unrecognizable (of course, her natural beauty gives her away) in the first part of the film. She is compelling as the "gone straight" crack addict that threw her son away. Jessica Lang gives a strong performance as the social worker who dotes on Isaiah to the point that she almost forgets her own daughter. The best part of this movie, however, is the ending, when love for the child pushes all other differences to the side. For all the movies that waste our time, this one helps to make up for it.